15 Weeks!

WooHOO! I am almost 4 months along! I am super happy with each passing week-- as I know that the baby is getting bigger and healthier. My mom reminded me that at around 26-27 weeks, the baby is considered viable, which is really not too far away and provides a bit of reassurance as I wait out these next few months. Someone tonight at Zumba told me that Easter was less than 6 months away, which means that the baby will be here by then! So exciting!

Not everything has been so exciting, however. Last week, the other lady at my school who is pregnant, Debbie, and I were talking about her maternity leave situation. She got some unexpected news about the perameters of her leave, and it made me really freak out about mine. I immediately called HR and set up an appointment to go in and discuss what my options will be in March. I go tomorrow, and I am relieved to just get all my ducks in a row and go from there. Certain aspects of being pregnant are just really stressful...and I can hear the choir now, saying, "Well, didn't you think of that before you decided to have a baby?" Yes...we thought about it. But like people always say, if you wait until you are 100% ready financially and logistically, you will wait forever. Luke and I will get through anything together with the support from those around us. I am not too worried.

My biggest worry for now is childcare. I am terrified of someone else watching our baby! Of course I will trust friends and family, but we don't have a lot of options in that department. I am weighing a lot of options right now, and ultimately I pray that we keep our family's needs in top priority. We will be guided to the right decision, and sacrifices will be made. I know there will soon be the first of many, many sacrifices we will make during our children's lives.

Well-- a pregnant lady has to eat! Have a great night!

Congrats, Chris & Megan!

I can hardly believe that September is almost over! It feels like only a couple days ago that we went to the Notre Dame game over Labor Day weekend. Now it is almost October, and I couldn't be happier. This September has not been all that Fall-like, although this past weekend was a sign of weather to come. It was sunny, breezy, even a little chilly by nighttime, and that is just the best!

We had a fabulous weekend in Muncie. Our friends, Chris & Megan, got married, and Luke was an usher in the wedding. We had the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner on Friday night, the wedding on Saturday, and then a post-wedding get-together today. We are so exhausted. In fact, Luke is snoozing on the couch (for the third time today!) as I type this.

The wedding was beautiful. It was all black and white, and the bridesmaids' dresses and flowers were a magenta color. The weather was outstanding, and the reception was a lot of fun. I actually was asked to come in and take some "getting ready" pictures of Megan and the girls, so that was really fun. She was a stunning bride. In fact, Luke said that "other than me," she was the most beautiful bride he has seen.

Last night, I felt pretty pregnant. The dress I was wearing highlighted the belly bulge going on, and while everyone was enjoying several alcoholic beverages, I stuck to my water and Diet Coke. I was really good about not drinking caffeine during the first trimester, but I have added it a little to my diet in the past couple of weeks. I am allowed 200 mg a day, and one can of Diet Coke only has about 45 mg. I typically have Diet Coke once or twice a week. Sometimes I just need it!

Anyway -- the wedding was great fun, but WOW my feet hurt by the end of the night. The reception didn't close up until midnight, so it was a pretty long day for us. However, I loved being around my friends and seeing Chris and his groomsmen and ushers, who most of whom were elementary, middle, or high school friends. It is so cool that people can stay in touch and be friends after so many years.

One crazy thing that happened was Chris actually broke is wedding band during the reception. He had a tungsten band that is "virtually indestructible," which is the kind Luke has, but during the reception a large chunk broke off! It actually happened during a pretty hilarious part of the reception, which was when Megan's cousin taught Chris a very interesting dance. It involved some pounding his hands on the dance floor, and that was when the ring incident occurred. However, that ring should not have broken like that no matter what he was doing. He only got to wear it for 3 hours! Luckily, by this afternoon, he already had a new one as the jewelry store was able to replace the exact ring in the store today.

Well, I have chicken chili simmering on the stove and a Colts game about ready to come on-- I am exhausted and "kind of" dreading going to school tomorrow, but I know that the weeks are flying, which means the baby is growing, and I am getting closer and closer to lots of exciting things!

Welcome Avigail Catherine Grile!

On Sunday, I got the pleasure of meeting our friends' Ken and Jenna's first baby girl, Avigail. She was born on Wednesday. She was so super sweet and sleepy! It was a great visit, and I am so happy for them. They are already wonderful parents. Congrats!

Here is a nursery update. This is the 2nd set of bedding I have for a boy...maybe even a girl. I really like it!

14 Weeks!

Goodbye, first trimester....Hello second trimester! It feels like it has taken FOREVER to get to this point! Everyone has told me that the 2nd trimester is the best, and I am greatly looking forward to it. I feel like I got off the hook easy during the 1st, so I am hoping there are no unpleasant surprises in the 2nd. What I am really looking forward to is my chubby belly turning into a baby belly! I am also looking forward to feeling those kicks -- though I still swear I have felt them twice. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!

I went to Target yesterday with Jenn, and we happened to find ourselves in the baby clearance. Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. There were so many cute things for $2, $3, $4....I just couldn't resist. So what if I got 25 outfits, 22 of them for a girl? They didn't have very many boy things without a silly looking character or bear or Winnie the Pooh (ick), so I had to do what I could do. The stuff I got was absolutely precious....so needless to say we will either have a well-dressed girl or a really naked boy!

Girl outfits

Pathetic collection of boy outfits

I got a wild hair and decided that I wanted to make baby bows. Again...maybe this is my subconscious telling me that I am having a girl...because I am all about the girly stuff as of late. Anyway, I went to Michael's today and got some ribbon and made my first bow for Jenna's baby girl Avigail! I hope she likes it! I made it to match an outfit that I am taking to her today when a group of my friends make the road trip to go see her. I am so excited to see this baby girl!

I was bored this morning and counted our spare change we have been collecting since January, and we are at about $92! This is our Christmas money that we will use to buy presents for our friends/family. I know $92 won't stretch very far, but we still have about 2 months before we need to start spending it, and at least it is money that we don't have to come up with all at once. Paying in all cash (well, mostly all cash) for a year has really been one of our better decisions we have made.

Anyway, I better get ready to go. Hopefully the girls will be on time and we can get headed down south here shortly. Why do the weekends go so quickly?

Operation: Simplicity

This weekend, I have big plans for myself. Because my classroom was about 1,000 degrees on Friday, I couldn't stay as late as I wanted to in order to get all my plans in line for next week. I decided to leave and take everything home with me. Now, this has never been a good idea for me in the past, as my teacher stuff usually never makes it out of the car when I take it home. However, I most definitely plan on getting it done and being productive. I will have to do that in between meeting Jenn for coffee, hanging out with Elizabeth today, and going to Bloomington to see Jenna & Ken's new beautiful baby girl, Avigail tomorrow! :-)

I also have big plans to go through my closet. I don't think I am going to get rid of anything permanently, but, let's face it, I have clothes that I am quickly growing out of and I think it would make getting dressed easier in the morning if I weeded through the stuff that just doesn't fit or look right and put it in a box for the next 6 months. I find myself each morning standing in our closet going, "I have nothing to wear!" I know that isn't true, but I get overwhelmed by all the clothes that I simply cannot wear (for fear of looking ridiculous with my little beer...I mean baby...belly poking out). If I find some things I can live without in the process and happen to donate them to Goodwill, I think that is a bonus.

Luke and I live in excess....we have 100 old magazines, books we don't read, notes and bills that we have collected over the years....and even though I feel like I go through my closets in a fit of rage or, as I used to say in college, a tornado of anger, every few months, we still seem to accumulate so much....shit (have to call it like I see it).

With the baby coming, I really want to eliminate as much excess sh...stuff...as possible, as I know that our lives and home will soon be overtaken by brightly colored, plastic light-up toys and pastel blankets and stuffed toys. Our tiny home already feels like it is bursting at the seams, and we have only been in here for less than a year and a half! We have high hopes of staying here through residency (God willing Luke is placed in Indianapolis), and if that is going to happen, we need to MAKE ROOM!

Luke and I are so busy and tired throughout the week with the stresses of school that we really don't do much weekly maintenance of our home. This is a bad habit to have been in for over two years, but today, it stops! I promise...I swear!

Anyway, with all this talk of productivity, I should probably close my computer and get started. Oh and there's Jenn! I guess work will have to wait!

Appointment Update!

I just got home from my appointment, and I feel so relieved and happy! :-) The baby's heartbeat was loud and clear at 165 beats per minute, and the doctor said everything is going great! I go back over Fall Break for another appointment and then on October 27th I get my "big" ultrasound. The baby will look so different then! I am extremely excited to get a good look at our baby, but we are still holding out that we don't want to know the sex. Luke thinks he will be able to tell without them telling us. We will see! :-) Hearing that heartbeat makes all the frustrations of life as of late very much worth it and minute in comparison.

Did I just feel something?

As I sit here grading, I think I am feeling some baby movement! I know it seems early at 13 1/2 weeks, but I have read you can feel it this early, but a lot of people don't know until their 2nd pregnancies because they don't know what it feels like. I have heard it feels like popcorn popping, or butterfly wings fluttering....and I think I am definitely feeling some little footprints :-)

The other night I was laying in bed and thought I felt them then, too. I was laying on my side and it just felt like something was going on in there.

I hope I am right and not just feeling my stomach growling! All I can say is that I have never felt anything like this before! :-)

We go to the doctor tomorrow for our 4 week appointment. I am praying for an uneventful appointment with no unhappy surprises. I will update when I am finished!

13 Weeks

Well, I have rounded the corner of 13 weeks, which means at the end of this week I am done with the first trimester! Truly, what a milestone, as these past 3 months have seemed to last forever! I found out so quick that I was pregnant so I felt like it was an eternity before we could tell people and even longer to get through this trimester.

I absolutely cannot complain about this pregnancy (HA! Ask Luke that...he might have a different answer!). But really...no puking, no nausea, just some crazy fatigue early on (but who doesn't like a good excuse for a nap?), some sweet teen acne, and some "mild mood swings" (again, Luke might say otherwise). I know others who are terribly sick and have been for the entire three months, but I have not been. I hope I am not cursing myself, but my doctor says that some people just feel really great during pregnancy. I guess I am lucky that respect!

I have a doctor's appointment on Thursday. I don't think it will be anything crazy...just listening to the heartbeat. Thankfully, we have been listening to the heartbeat every day with our doppler. If you are reading this, and you are pregnant, it is SO worth it to rent or buy one so that you can have the peace of mind to know that all is well in there. I just can't wait until I can feel this little guy or girl move. I know it could be any week now....!

Well, the last I updated, we painted the nursery lime green. I was cool with the green at first, and then I freaked out and decided we should paint over it. We opted for a more apple green this time, which is much easier on the eyes and probably won't sway our child into premature ADHD like the other color. We put a fresh coat of white on the trim, moved the furniture back in, and geez it kind of looks like a nursery! Maybe we rushed a little ahead, but baby stuff is just so awesome and cute...who could resist?

The plan is not to find out the sex of the baby, so I am prepared either way as far as bedding goes. I have a girl set that my mom got us a long time ago because it was going on clearance at Target and she knew I always had my eye on it. She didn't want the time to come for us to have a baby and us not to be able to find something we liked us much. So....I have a girl bedding set which is in the crib now. I just ordered on ebay a boy set that will also match the green on the wall....it is super cute and modern and fun. I am excited to get it. Now, either way, we are prepared! I plan to have the same plan for clothes...if I see something cute for a girl, I will just get it. If I see something cute for a boy...I will do the same. It won't go to waste. I am sure we will have more children (God willing) and one of them is bound to be the opposite sex.

Well...that's all I have for now. I went to Zumba tonight and it felt great. It is always hard to get in my car and go after a long day at school, but I am always so thankful when I get there. Besides, there's a girl, also named Ashley, who is 14 weeks pregnant! Fun stuff!

Success!

Got the doppler today....opened it and hooked myself right up...and I believe I heard the heartbeat! At first I thought I had it but it was reading too low, so it was actually my heartbeat, but then I moved it and heard the fast whoosh of a fetal heartbeat! It was registering around 144 beats per minute! There is a way to upload the sound file onto your computer, so I am totally going to do that when I get done with all my evening chores (I promised Luke while he worked on call tonight that I would go to the store AND put away all the laundry...).

Such a great sound! :-)

Update: here's the heartbeat-- around 140 beats per minute, still in that ambiguous could be a boy, could be a girl stereotypical heartbeat range

12 Weeks!

Well, I am almost out of the first trimester! Pregnancy is funny because if you think in terms of 1 month = 4 weeks, most people think that the end of 12 weeks is the end of the first trimester. However, not true. You have to wait to the end of the 13th week. Boo! I am ready to read a different chapter in my "What to Expect When You're Expecting" book. Oh well...it will come soon enough!

We took the first "baby bump" picture. I really just look a little bloated, and I did eat dinner right before the picture, so it might be that, but I guess if you look closely you can see a little bump. The baby is only about 2 inches long right now, so it's not like I should be huge yet anyway.

Over the Labor Day weekend, we got a wild hair up our butts and bought some paint and painted the baby room. I am a little nervous about the color right now, as it is pretty bright green, but I think we some accessories and some great art on the walls, it will look really great. I am just a little freaked out because we have never put a color that bright on any of our walls! It is very young and fun and playful, which is what you want a baby room to be!

I am anxious to get out and bargain hunt for more perfect items for the baby room!

Welcome to Notre Dame

Few things compare to a football game at Notre Dame. It is just an A+ place to get a huge atmosphere on a small campus. The tradition and pride and loyalty are truly marvelous. We always look forward to our next trip to South Bend.

This was our third game. My parents take the whole family (including my 9-hour-away-brother) once a year so that we can do something all together. Our common interest is football. Mom & Christian are probably the bigger ND fans, Dad probably takes the cake on Tennessee (Vols that is, not Titans), and I think I can have the title of #1 Colts Fan of the family...however we all love all three of the teams mentioned. Thankfully, we have all been blessed to have seen our favorite teams play in person, which is truly a fortunate thing to experience!

Anywho...September 5 was Notre Dame's opening game of the season against Nevada. They pulled off an amazing 35-0 win, which was so much fun to watch! The weather was great, though a little hot at times, our seats were perfect (highest row of the stadium which caught an incredible breeze and had a great view of the whole field as well as the campus behind us), and the atmosphere didn't disappoint. My only complaint of the day was the 30 minute wait we endured in some blazing heat while we tried to get into the stadium. Our gate where our seats were happened to be the only gate the students can go into, so we were absolutely surrounded by students and it was insanely crowded. It took a long time to get in, but it was worth it.

Being my 3rd time to the campus, I didn't take as many pictures. Trust me, though, it was beautiful.

Going to those games always make me wish I went to Notre Dame...but then I remember how there is no way I could have ever gotten in! Oh well...I still love my BSU!

Am I weird?

I hate not knowing what my baby is doing and if he/she/Birl (Baby Boy-Girl as we call it) is doing OK. I wish I had my own ultrasound machine, as I would spend all day hooked up to it just watching the baby do its thing. Oh no...I can see it now...I will be the mom following my kid around with a camcorder strapped to my hand for the rest of its life!

Anyway, I have contemplated renting a fetal doppler for a while now. For those of you not in tune with prego-lingo, it is a device that allows you to hear the heartbeat. You can rent them for pretty cheap online, so I decided to get one. I am renting one for 3 months, figuring that by 3 months from now, I will be 6 months pregnant and I will feel that baby kicking around. Those kicks will be all the reassurance I need. Right now, I just want to hear that heart beating away!

It was pretty cheap, and I am excited for it to come in the mail! If you're wondering, I got it at http://www.storkradio.com.